CITY APPROVES $9.6M SHERIFF’S CONTRACT

The Poway City Council has approved an agreement for general law and traffic enforcement services with the Sheriff’s Department.

The city will pay the department $9.6 million for the current fiscal year of 2012-2013, the council unanimously agreed last week. The cost represents roughly one-third of the city’s annual budget.

Under terms of the five-year contract, beginning July 1, 2014, the contract shifts from a “modified cost center” model to a “direct cost center” formula. Under the formula, facility costs will no longer be pooled and distributed among the nine cities in the county that contract with the Sheriff’s Department. Instead, each city will pay for its own station costs.

City Manager Penny Riley told the council that the change will result in a cost increase to cities that have newer law enforcement facilities, including Poway.

The cost increase for this fiscal year is about 3.4 percent. The agreement contains caps for years two through five, ranging from 2.75 percent to 3.25 percent, Riley said.

However, starting in July 2014, the city will begin paying the full cost for the Poway station and could experience an increase of up to 5.5 percent that year, with regular costs capped at 3 percent and an additional 2.5 percent estimated facility cost increase.